A large proportion of hospital admissions for eating disorders are accounted for by young people.

This is according to the latest figures published by the NHS Information Centre.

The study revealed that a total of 2,579 people were admitted to hospital with problems relating to eating disorders in the year to June 2010.

Of these, 882 were under the age of 18.

Mary George is the spokesperson for the Eating Disorders Association, also known as beat.

She suggested that this rise in the number of young people could be down to the fact that there is "just better diagnosis [and] that GPs are recognising the problem at an earlier stage of development, so those young people are getting the help they need".

However, she added: "Having said that, being hospitalised means that they are very poorly indeed.

"That is only the tip of the iceberg. We are aware that there are a lot more out there who are developing a problem."